ARC Review – The Echo Wife

From Goodreads:

Martine is a genetically cloned replica made from Evelyn Caldwell’s award-winning research. She’s patient and gentle and obedient. She’s everything Evelyn swore she’d never be. And she’s having an affair with Evelyn’s husband.

Now, the cheating bastard is dead, and the Caldwell wives have a mess to clean up. Good thing Evelyn Caldwell is used to getting her hands dirty.

Oh this is such a good Domestic Thriller with the perfect blend of Sci-fi to keep you on your toes. Sarah Gailey really knows how to world build. First things first lets talk Science. I have made no secret that I am a Scientist and I get picky when science/scientists are portrayed in books and this books science is excellent. I usually find scientists portrayed in two ways, quiet and unobtrusive or insane. Evelyn our main character is neither of these she is nuanced and flawed and human. She engages in small talk, has friends – even if she shuns them. My only gripe is it does perpetuate the – you have to dedicate everything to your work as forgo all life and relationships in order to be successful in science – stereotype which as a research scientist myself, that is fighting against my life must be science and only science mentality, this is slightly harmful view. But this is my only gripe at this book.

The proposed science itself is beautifully crafted, described and believable without being overwhelming to those more interested in the domestic thriller aspects than the science fiction. The characters and there relationships are just as delicately sculpted. There is something so enticing about Evelyn and Martine’s relationship as Martine is essentially a tweaked version of Evelyn. There is some real depth to Evelyn’s backstory that parallels and plays into Martine’s in a really gorgeous. It is just filled with emotional resonance.

I couldn’t predict how the plot would play out and the dark depths it would explore. It really builds, taking its time, drawing out the suspense while asking some really deep questions of what it is to be an individual? I think it is an excellent book if you are a Domestic thriller fan or a sci-fi fan alike.